Malaysia–Uzbekistan Collaboration in Muslim-Friendly Tourism: An Empirical PLS-SEM Analysis

Authors

  • Atoeva Makhliyo Djalolitdinovna Ministry of higher education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bukhara State University Department of Coordination of Joint Programs with Foreign Higher Education Institutions’s Vatel_Bukhara Lecturers
  • Fuzaylova Nigina Khakimovna Ministry of higher education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bukhara State University Department of Coordination of Joint Programs with Foreign Higher Education Institutions’s Vatel_Bukhara Lecturers
  • Mardonova Malika Asatilloyevna Doctoral student (PhD) of “Silk Road” international university of tourism and cultural heritage
  • Odina Olimova Doctoral student (PhD)of the Samarkand State University of Architecture and Construction named after Mirzo Ulugbek, Samarkand
  • Jumaniyozova Shakhodat Kudrat kizi Specialist of International Relations Department, PhD student of World Languages Department, Urgench RANCH University of Technology

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51699/cajitmf.v7i3.1282

Keywords:

Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH), Bilateral Cooperation, Tourist Satisfaction, Behavioral Intention, PLS-SEM

Abstract

This study examines the role of Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) in fostering bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Uzbekistan. Drawing upon service quality theory and cultural affinity frameworks, the study develops and empirically tests a structural model linking destination attributes—globalization, professionalism, rationality, and morality—to tourist satisfaction and behavioral intention. Data were collected from 312 Malaysian tourists who had recently visited Uzbekistan and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that performance-related factors significantly influence tourist satisfaction, which in turn strongly predicts behavioral intention. These results contribute to the theoretical advancement of Islamic tourism literature and offer practical implications for policymakers aiming to position Uzbekistan as a competitive Muslim-friendly destination.

References

M. Battour and M. N. Ismail, “Tourism that is halal,” Tourism Management Perspectives, vol. 19, pp. 150–154, 2016.

J. J. Cronin and S. A. Taylor, “Assessing the quality of service,” Journal of Marketing, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 55–68, 1992.

R. Eid and H. El-Gohary, “How Muslims act when they travel,” Tourism Management, vol. 46, pp. 477–488, 2015.

J. F. Hair, G. T. M. Hult, C. M. Ringle, and M. Sarstedt, A Beginner’s Guide to Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), 2nd ed. Wise, 2019.

J. C. Henderson, “Tourism for halal food,” Tourism Management Perspectives, vol. 19, pp. 155–163, 2016.

A. Mohsin, N. Ramli, and B. A. Alkhulayfi, “Halal tourism: New chances are opening up,” Tourism Management Perspectives, vol. 19, pp. 137–143, 2016.

M. L. Stephenson, “Understanding ‘Islamic hospitality’: Progress, obstacles, and prospects,” Tourism Management, vol. 40, pp. 155–164, 2014.

World Tourism Organization, Report on the Growth of Tourism, 2022.

CrescentRating, The Global Muslim Travel Index, 2023.

M. Battour and M. N. Ismail, “Halal tourism,” Tourism Management Perspectives, vol. 19, pp. 150–154, 2016.

J. J. Cronin and S. A. Taylor, “Measuring service quality,” Journal of Marketing, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 55–68, 1992.

R. Eid and H. El-Gohary, “Muslim tourist behavior,” Tourism Management, vol. 46, pp. 477–488, 2015.

J. F. Hair, G. T. M. Hult, C. M. Ringle, and M. Sarstedt, A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage Publications, 2019.

J. C. Henderson, “Halal food tourism,” Tourism Management Perspectives, vol. 19, pp. 155–163, 2016.

A. Mohsin, N. Ramli, and B. A. Alkhulayfi, “Halal tourism: Emerging opportunities,” Tourism Management Perspectives, vol. 19, pp. 137–143, 2016.

World Tourism Organization, Tourism Development Report, 2022.

Downloads

Published

2026-05-18

How to Cite

Djalolitdinovna, A. M., Fuzaylova Nigina Khakimovna, Mardonova Malika Asatilloyevna, Odina Olimova, & Jumaniyozova Shakhodat Kudrat kizi. (2026). Malaysia–Uzbekistan Collaboration in Muslim-Friendly Tourism: An Empirical PLS-SEM Analysis. Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance, 7(3), 122–127. https://doi.org/10.51699/cajitmf.v7i3.1282

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 3 (2026): July

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In submitting the manuscript to the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance, the authors certify that:

  • They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
  • The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
  • That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
  • The publication has been approved by the author(s) and by responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
  • They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
  • They agree to the following license and copyright agreement.

License and Copyright Agreement

Authors who publish with Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.